Running News Daily

With less than a week and a half to go Amy Cragg Withdraws from 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials

Defending champion Amy Cragg, 36, announced on Instagram that she will not compete in the championship. Cragg cited an illness as the reason for withdrawing from the race.

“The Trials are the reason I have shown up every day for the last four years, so this has been an extremely difficult decision,” she wrote on Instagram. Cragg did not immediately respond to Runner’s World’s request for comment.

In January, Cragg told Runner’s World, “February 29, top 3, that’s what I’m going for. It’s just getting on that team. For me, that’s everything.” She said that training for Trials was going well, despite a disappointing year of racing in 2019.

Last year, the 2:21 marathoner raced only twice on the roads, finishing seventh at the Prague Half Marathon in 1:13:27 in April and 14th at the Beach to Beacon 10K in 34:40 in August. She had plans to race at the 2019 Chicago Marathon but withdrew with an injury. Outside of racing, she was struggling in workouts with overall fatigue.

“You talk to any distance runner, you go through those ups and downs regularly,” she told Runner’s World. “It’s like you just can’t seem to get out of the slump. You don’t know whether to push harder or let go. I’ve been used to it over the years. But there was definitely still that fear that I might have overdone it; [I’d] hope it’s not undoable.”

After training at altitude with the Bowerman Track Club for most of January and February this year, Cragg came down to sea level to race the New Orleans Rock ’n’ Roll Half Marathon on February 9. Unfortunately, she slowed throughout the race, indicating that a successful Trials defense was in jeopardy. She finished in 1:16:53, averaging 5:51 per mile. When Cragg ran the 2018 Tokyo Marathon, which put her fifth on the U.S. all-time list, she averaged 5:24 pace for double the distance.

 

(02/21/2020) Views: 1,999 ⚡AMP
by Hailey Middlebrook

Australian’ 24-year-old Jacqui Bell is the youngest person lining up for the 323K Alps 2 Ocean Ultra in New Zealand

24-year-old Australian ultra-marathon runner Jacqui Bell is in New Zealand to tackle her longest ultra-marathon.

Bell is lining up in the Alps 2 Ocean Ultra on Sunday with 120 others from 14 countries to run 323 kilometers from Aoraki/Mt Cook to Oamaru in seven days mostly following the off road Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail.

Speaking from Christchurch New Zealand Airport on Wednesday, she told Stuff she expected the race to be "brutal". Completing it will bring her a step closer to being the youngest person in history to run an ultra-marathon on every continent in the world.

"I'm hoping the scenery makes up for the toughness of it. It's a lot of kms, and my body hasn't done any more than 250kms every.

"It's kind of like going into the unknown in that next 73km ... but I'll just try and enjoy it."

Bell said she was looking forward to the "beautiful landscape" in New Zealand.

"I can't wait to clock off from the everyday stresses of life and get to run every day in the mountains.

"I've never been to New Zealand ... I'm not sure what I'm in for."

Bell said she couldn't resist the idea of running 323km.

"It's going to be amazing," she said.

(02/20/2019) Views: 2,133 ⚡AMP

New Zealand's first Ultra staged Run starts on Sunday

The Alps 2 Ocean Ultra (New Zealand's first ultra-staged race) will see 130 runners from 15 countries on the start line looking towards a finish in Oamaru seven days later after covering 316-kilometres following the off road Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail for much of the journey. Race director Mike Sandri says, "This run will not be easy and you will be pushed to your limit. You will get tired, sore, hungry and may even get the odd blister - all those things that go with ultra-stage running. But at the same time, I guarantee when you get back home and have recovered, you will have loved it and most importantly have met some amazing people." (02/22/2018) Views: 1,449 ⚡AMP
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